Comments on: Broad Spectrum

By: Carol Ricker

Carol Ricker — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:55:30 +0000

It is now Dec and I just your/ found Cathy’s reply. My computer has relocated three times but, unfortunately I am still fighting Vista’s troubled consistancy. Thanks so much for the reply. I am working on finding a level playing field in todays economy because it looks like I am coming out of retirement (being just a mom as a career is not a fulfilling as expected), also I must add divorced, not uncommon I hear when the newborn not perfect AUTISTIC label scared dad away or embarass him non-neurotypical baby makes more than three. Funny how the baby boy grewup to funny, wiser and smarter than his father today, can descriptively and verbally build a car engine , yet has unreadable handwriting. I have an extensive education but don’t feel that finishing a doctorate in neuroclinical psych, that I put on hold 11 years ago, is applicable now that the internet our new communication reality. I want to work with educating educators because I don’t have the tolerance I used to when I was weighing crack babies for the courts, counseling stroke Pts families, working with head injured when the knowledge base was 20 years ago.. until tonight I booted up my computer. After surfing through 2000 plus e-mails ( mostly junk) I decided to do a little research. That is when when I self diagnosed as living in my own psudo- out of the box agoraphobia, except when I go to target practice. went three times in 3 months am a better shot than my instructors. still waiting for an eight pound no kick automatic silent sniper range m17 shotgun that is invisible and dosent hurt anyone . I am far from left or right more like an “anthropologist on mars (O.Sacks)”, serotonin overloaded sleepless perimenopausal visual sundowner. A phrase from when surgeons and others daily exposed to bright light lose the ability to see when the sun sets) In reality anxious to read the history books chapters about the idiots letting unions and bail outs run the show , the televised news confuse our children about work ethics a little more.. and a new popular special needs that will be discovered..There went my rant. Looks like the government is picking on anoter culture to supress, or another revelotion is starting. any ideas? Today I am working with creating a safe space for my 11 yr old aspie having diffuiculty dealing with the changes we are facing. death in the family (my dad), monetary changes, Mom ‘s friend of 32 yrs now official partner, and the neighborhood bullies and drug users are out.

By: cathy

cathy — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:08:54 +0000

Good morning, Carol. The list of labels in the field of autism can be confusing. In my humble opinion, there are two reasons that we see so many different names and labels. (1) The labels are an effort to categorize and differentiate the “sub-groups” of the spectrum of autism. It is difficult to cram different people into clear-cut categories since autism is not in levels, but rather a fairly random collection of vastly different strengths and weaknesses related to social skills, cognitive abilities, communication skills, behavior issues, sensory issues, obsessiveness and flexibility, dietary issues, etc. etc. etc. Every person I know with autism has his or her unique combination of abilities and challenges in all of these areas, so it is difficult to place them in a category. (2) Some people prefer certain terms because they find others offensive. So, for example, some individuals consider autism a condition rather than a disability, so they are not fans of the term ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). Some people who have typical academic skills and are able to talk and function much like their typical peers prefer the term aspergers because it implies more “normal” abilities in these areas. Sometimes a label such as Rett’s describes a specific, well-defined sub-category of autism, but, in many cases, it is difficult to pinpoint a certain label that clearly defines the grab bag of challenges and joys faced by different individuals with autism.

By: Carol Ricker

Carol Ricker — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:55:00 +0000

Why is it Hans Asperger identified some thing that, first, was put in with the word Autism what we use to think as low functioning children with sensory overload locked in their bodies/ now people like David Angle appear to have different names for Aspergers disorder/dpectrum syndrom/disease/autism on his minipage link and tony attwood varies too? what up thanks if you can help me Kathy